Coventry is set to host an airport for electric aircraft – the first of its kind in the world.

Known as Air One, the site will be a host for not only electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL) such as air taxis but also for autonomous delivery drones according to an article on The Engineer. It is a project that has been initiated by Urban Air Port – a subsidiary of Six Miles Across London Limited which specialises in sustainable technology.

Designed to be 60% smaller than a typical heliport, the project is receiving support from Hyundai, Coventry City Council and the UK government. 

In addition, researchers at Coventry University will look into public acceptance of the electric aircraft vehicles within the city, with large cargo drones for the site being provided by UK drone developer and engineering company Malloy Aeronautics.

Set to launch later this year, one of the main objectives behind this project is to decarbonise transport at a considerable rate within the country, with an additional ambition of producing a further 200 sites within the next five years.

“Cars need roads. Trains need rails. Planes need airports. eVTOLs will need Urban Air Ports. Over a hundred years ago, the world’s first commercial flight took off, creating the modern connected world. Urban Air Port will improve connectivity across our cities, boost productivity and help the UK to take the lead in a whole new clean global economy”, says Ricky Sandhu who is the founder and executive chairman of Urban Air Port.